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More on George Ryan

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* My latest Sun-Times column is about George Ryan, but begins with a personal anecdote…

Years ago an uncle of mine, not blood-related, went to prison on a trumped-up charge.

My uncle and several others were busted unloading a plane on a secret runway. They thought the plane was loaded with sacks of cocaine. Turns out, the plane was owned by the federal government and the cocaine was really dry wall paste. The uncle got 10 years in the federal pen for conspiracy.

At the time, I thought his sentence was ludicrous and figured his alleged membership in a notorious motorcycle gang probably didn’t help him much with the jury.

I had known this man most of my life, and while he was always a bit on the odd side, he was always very nice to me and my four brothers. His own kids obviously adored him. My entire extended family loved the man. Few of us knew about the motorcycle gang stuff, so we were shocked to hear of his arrest and heartbroken after he was sentenced.

If you had read about his trial and conviction, you probably wouldn’t have had any sympathy for the guy. Screaming headlines prevailed throughout.

Few people take much time to learn about anyone on trial, particularly motorcycle gang members busted cold by the feds in the middle of the night unloading an airplane. Bad people doing bad things get hard time. End of story. The criminal’s humanity means nothing. I’d have probably felt the same way if I didn’t know the guy.

And so it goes with George Ryan.

* Why is George Ryan still not in prison? The Daily Herald attempts an explanation…

“Look, if he were Joe Shmoe, he’d be gone,” Roosevelt University political scientist Paul Green said Wednesday. “But then, if he were Joe Shmoe, he wouldn’t have been governor.”

Loyola University law school Dean David Yellen didn’t see it that way.

“I would be surprised if it were clout,” Yellen said. “It’s not as if he were the only criminal defendant who had his bond extended.” […]

Professor Kent Redfield, a University of Illinois-Springfield political scientist, said a combination of factors probably went into the decision to allow Ryan to remain free this long.

“Obviously, you’ve got very high-priced legal representation, and I think you do get deference, but it has also been clear in terms of granting the bond initially that there certainly is a difference of opinion,” he said.

* And the DH’s editorial page asks this…

But we wonder how many defendants convicted of serious crimes on allegedly shaky cases had to sit for years in their jail waiting rooms until irregularities in their cases were sorted out.

It’s not clear from reading the editorial, however, if the paper is in favor of allowing all defendants with “shaky cases” to stay out of jail or not.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:10 am

Comments

Report to prison, become a model prisoner and write a book, they reduce your sentence, you get out early, you go home to enjoy the rest of life.
Game over!

Comment by Get it over with Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:18 am
Does someone want to wonder if Ryan would have ever been caught if for anything if the G had not put up $25 million plus hundreds FBI agents?
The crime was who gave the CDLs to all the mopes.
Not lying about a free vacation.
Juggling the jury at the end was the worst.

Comment by Reddbyrd Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:24 am
What about the six children who died of their burns?

Comment by been there Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:29 am
Great article Rich. People who rejoice at Ryan’s downfall are petty and ignorant. He is no saint and will pay for his bad decisions, but he is one of the most effective leaders this state has ever had.

Comment by Jaded Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:35 am
In the old days they would have showed up at his door with pitch and feather pillows, painted him up, plastered him with feathers and force him to ride a rail around the town square. The guys who did this to him would be all liquored up wearing hankies over their faces.

Today, those guys hide behind papers and blogs.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:53 am
To: ‘been there’ - in regards to the 6 dead children you should be asking about what happened to the SOS employee who actually sold the drivers license to the illegal driver who killed them - by the way, anyone know what just punishment she got?

Comment by Belle Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:56 am
Well written article I thought Rich

Comment by BMC Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 10:58 am
Rich you article reminds me of Orson Scott Card’s Enders Game series of books. He created a character who acted as a speaker for the dead who primarily spoke asking others to consider the perspective and goodness of those who were clothed with the general perception of being evil or bad.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 11:13 am
I have to agree, Ryan wasn’t all bad. He at least did his job as governor in regards to managing the agencies. He let his friends make some money on deals that would have been done anyway for the most part. Where he made his mistake was when Honeywell confronted him about the extortion, he should have taken a closer look and stop some of there actions. I too believe the death row action was from his heart.

Comment by Just Because Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 11:25 am
I agree the death row action was just; especially after DNA evidence cleared so many of their crimes. But his remaining free on bond pending a final appeal is wrong. He should be waiting in a jail cell for that ruling. Is it clout keeping him free? I don’t know, but will Winston-Strawn represent anybody for free? I don’t think so.

Comment by Dead Head Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 11:45 am
A fine article Rich.

Comment by God's Country Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 11:57 am
I am no fan of the death penalty, and I would not object to replacing it with life without parole. But even assuming that Ryan’s motives for clearing death row were entirely pure, I have two serious objections to the way in which he acted.
1. He should never have allowed the public Prisoner Review Board hearings to take place if he had ANY intention of issuing a blanket commutation. Those hearings did nothing but arouse false hope among hundreds of victims’ families thinking they had a fighting chance to keep their loved ones’ killers on death row, and put them through hell for nothing.
2. Issuing the commutations the day before he left office was not a “courageous” way to act. If he really wanted to show moral courage, he would have made his decision much earlier. Really, the most courageous thing he could have done would have been to run for re-election and announce his decision BEFORE the election. Granted it would have virtually guaranteed his defeat, but it would at least have shown that he was willing to accept the consequences of his decisions and let the voters have their say. To make his decision at the last minute and then scoot out the door and avoid all the potential consequences is not what I would call courageous.

Comment by Lainer Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:01 pm
Whether a regular Joe would be out on bail is tough to gage. A regular Joe would not have been investigated, let alone convicted, a the crimes that George has been convicted of. When was the last time you heard of a non-govermental citizen being accused of mail fraud or theft of honest services?

Comment by anon Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:04 pm
I’ll agree with you Rich that the former Governor was certainly a builder and he was a political player for a long time. I’m sure he was a great guy, but I think being a politcal player for a long time was part of the problem. When it was time for him to clean up his act, he didn’t seem to want to and it caught up to him.

I’m not gleeful that he’s convicted and is on his way to prison, but what it does mean to me is that the powerful can be convicted and sent to prison. Hopefully a deterrent to others who might consier going Ryan’s and others route.

Comment by Levois Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:15 pm
There is alot wrong with this editorial. This sentence is particularly specious it seems to me:
“It’s too easy to point the finger of blame solely at Ryan when we’re the ones who elected him time and time again.” He got alot of votes including mine becuase he LIED. He said he had had no knowledge of the scandal involving selling licenses and we now know idisputably he did (and acted to cover up it up by compromising his own IG, a particularly viscous act in terms of betraying the public trust). He lived for years without having to take out money from his checking account due to all the cash on hand which makes it pretty clear he lived well off of unethical practices and that he and his family were obviously aware of it. The voters were not.

Also this editorial seems to veer off from the reality most of us voters live in right from the beginning though it is certainly possible I do not understand the meaning of “trumped up charges.” To me that implies the charges were fraudulent (see: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trumped). Yet you state your uncle was in fact guilty of conspiring to ship cocaine.

I very much enjoy your blog and your commentary. You missed badly on this one though I think.

Comment by fan of Capitol Fax Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:27 pm
I think the column made an important point with clarity and sense. Americans spend a lot of emotional time and energy convincing themselves that the sky-high incarceration rate is OK because “those people” deserve what they get. Well, to paraphrase Pogo, we have met “those people,” and they are us.

Comment by Muskrat Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 12:57 pm
If Ed Burke was right here,

“The law business is good,” he says. “I have been fortunate to have the best of both worlds. I have enjoyed the political side of it and also enjoyed my private legal practice. Yes, there have been temptations, [but] if you try to conduct yourself under the rules, in the long run you are better off. But sometimes those rules are changed in the middle of the game.”

For example?

“I see some of that in the Ryan case. Frankly I don’t see that what George Ryan did was a great deal different than what every other governor has done for the last 100 years.”

You gotta wonder about the sentence.

Comment by Bill Baar Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:09 pm
Rich,

I don’t have any problem defending Governor Ryan. I worked very closely with him during the 4 years he was Governor, and I am proud of that time. He was a good Governor, and I think once the passions of the moment pass, history will see him that way.

Just as one example for those of you who have no idea what you’re talking about, during that time NOBODY tried to tell me who to hire or who to give contracts to. That’s pretty rare in government even today.

Regarding the tragedy of the children who died, employees in the Secretary of State’s office took bribes and payoffs for giving licenses to people who shouldn’t get them. That happened before he got there, too, and after he left. Anyone who thinks he or any other Secretary of State condones that is way far out of touch. Of course, when caught, the employees tried to shove the blame off on someone else, and the feds were eager to believe. It’s not much of an accomplishment for a US Attorney to catch a clerk at a driver’s license station taking a $100 bribe.

Was their fault in the way the issues were pursued within the SoS offices? Probably. Were some bad and unlawful decisions made and actions taken by people near the top of the organization? Almost undoubtedly. Were many (but not all) of those decisions and actions similar to political activities 10 or 15 years ago within most government administrations that I’m aware of? Yes. And that’s one outcome most people believe is good: politicians and state officials and employees are much more scrupulous about separating politics and government than they were in the past.

Was George Ryan personally aware of or directing people to repeatedly violate the law? Was he the mastermind behind some conspiracy to egregiously violate the law, pulling the strings right and left, enriching himself all the time? I won’t believe that until the day I die, and most people who know him won’t either, just as you don’t, Rich.

He is a decent, thoughtful human being who by my observations tried very hard to make the right decisions and do the right thing.

Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:18 pm
I have been trying to think sympathetic thoughts but I just can’t. I know all the sayings about casting the first stone and such but when I think that he or his wife did’t withdraw money from the bank for years-I just throw away the key.

Comment by Garp Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:30 pm
“Was George Ryan personally aware of or directing people to repeatedly violate the law? Was he the mastermind behind some conspiracy to egregiously violate the law, pulling the strings right and left, enriching himself all the time? I won’t believe that until the day I die, and most people who know him won’t either, just as you don’t, Rich.”

That simply does not correspond with reality:
http://mesh.medill.northweste
rn.edu/mnschicago/archiv
es/2001/01/dean_bauer_plea.html

“Under the deal, Bauer pleaded guilty to telling an employee, who was also an FBI informant, to get rid of two sensitive documents in October 1999, including a 1994 memo that revealed his office knew about Ricardo Guzman. Guzman, a truck driver, received an illegal driver’s license from the McCook testing facility and later was involved in an accident that killed six Southwest Side children in a fiery crash.”

That memo was dated 1994. Bauer was put into the position of IG for exactly that purpose, to think otherwise seems to be stretching credulity.

the full indictment was of course for:
“Bauer also was accused of squelching an investigation into the Guzman incident, blocking a probe into embezzlement by the politically-connected manager of a driver’s license facility, and halting the investigation of an employee in Joliet who received his job as a favor to Ryan.”

These other charges were dropped according to Lassar becuase:
“He has never once cooperated with us,” Lassar said. “He has only lied to us, and he has repeatedly told us he’ll never help us. It would be wrong to hold a hammer over his head.”

Now personally I do not think it would have been wrong to hold a hammer over his head and I dare say I do not think Fitzgerald would have felt that way also. Lassar was the one who gave political cover for Ryan by saying something to the effect he was not under investigation which I at the time thought vindicated him and made Poshard seem to be a dangerous demagogue for trying to Link Ryan to the license scandal.

To say Ryan was not fully aware and actively complicit in the corruption that occured in his administration is to ignore the actions of his IG and teh fact the way that he handled his OWN finances (here I refer to the evidence introduced in his trial that he only withdrew a paltry sum from his ATM and lived off cash for several years. To my knowledge his defense did not offer any credible explanation for this behavior and it is damning not just in the sense that he was fully aware that his lifestyle was supported by unseemly paybacks in the form of cash but that his family must certainly been aware of this also.

Many people who know Ryan personally seem to feel he is sincerely a good person even a good governor. That ignores the fact that he institutionalized corrupt practices. That sort of thing really does unfortunately discredit any good he may have done. Was he the mastermind? was he pulling strings “all the time” Those questions are only matters of degree. What is in the record and not disputed clearly shows he EGREGIOUSLY corrputed his office (see D. Bauer).

And it was not the voters that showed a blind eye as much as others in government, press and the AGs office who somehow “missed” it.

Comment by fan of Capitol Fax Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:45 pm
They didn’t withdraw cash from the bank. It’s not like they didn’t spend money. But a friend of theirs had an explanation about something like they would usually get cash when they went to the store and wrote the check for more than the amount. I doubt it’s true, particularly since I know the sort of things he really did do, but that’s what they said.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:46 pm
To Mr. Schnorf: Did you have your head buried somewhere while you were Director of Central Mangement Services? Those of us who work for the State in Personnel know that we got names from the Governor’s office all the time. Sure we had a list to work from, but the Governor’s favored ones were well known.

Comment by Dead Head Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:48 pm
fan, the voters are also complicit. Period. How many times did they elect him statewide?

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:50 pm
I know George Ryan and contrary to the column and to the apologists on this blog he was and is a crude good old boy who used his political position for the betterment of George Ryan and his pals first and then, when convenient, the citizens of this state. As far as doing business the way it had always been done, follow the trial’s testimony, especially the Jamaica vacations with cash kick backs. I find it hard to believe that anyone associated with the Thompson or Edgar administrations would make the argument that, as far as Governors go, this was business as usual. The deep cynicism of his death penalty commutations almost worked…it created a juror willing to hang the jury. No tears for George, just amazement that he continues to manipulate the system in ways that no common citizen could.

Comment by Walter Sobchak Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:53 pm
Dead Head, you seem to be on top of things. Just how long did I work at CMS under Governor Ryan?

Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 1:56 pm
I think “fan” has it right. If the public had known more about the SOS issues, Glenn Poshard would have been governor, and the state GOP would be in much better shape. It’s also a shame that, with all of the shenigans that supposedly went on during Ryan’s tenure as SOS, he was not prosecuted earlier.

Steve, my wife’s office, which is a subsidiary of the governor’s office, is full of people that were hired because her boss was told to hire them. Many of the people are not qualified but they are there and are not threatened with any form of punishment or firing. Keep in mind this is a lower-level office, which means other offices are probably worse offenders.

I do believe his clout is being put to good use here. Ask all of the people in the county jail who are awaiting sentencing if they were given the option to stay at home.

As for the death penalty commutation, I think it was a mixture of truly trying to help those who were innocent or received a bad trial and trying to save his rear. The latter part didn’t work.

Comment by Team Sleep Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:00 pm
Sorry, my mistake. You were Director under Edgar, but don’t act like it didn’t happen then too. I think that was the only time I remember coming back from lunch to find fundraising tickets on my desk.

Comment by Dead Head Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:01 pm
And Fan, I think I missed the testimony that Secretary Ryan directed Bauer to do those things. Could you give me a cite, please?

Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:01 pm
…the voters are also complicit…

I voted for him breaking a long habit of voting Democrats because I thought Poshard too socially conservative and I just bought into the practical cooperative spirit thing…. lets go build highways and stuff.

Comment by Bill Baar Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:02 pm
Walter, you’re deluding yourself. I suppose the fact that Edgar took envelopes full of cash from his employees every christmas is no big deal. And Thompson? C’mon.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:03 pm
However, there’s little doubt in my mind that Bauer was put in place precisely because he was an idiot and completely loyal to George. He didn’t have to be told to cover for George because he’d been doing it most of his life.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:07 pm
I here ya on his many re-elections. I do not wholly exculpate the voters from electing corrupt politicians. But I think the election of the Strogers is a better example because their corruption was higlighted by their opponents and vetted in the press. Poshard was not given the benefit of the doubt when he used that tactic (and if I remember correctly only began to highlight the corruption in the later stages of the election when he was trailing). the AG made what was called at the time a highly unusual public statement regarding whether Ryan was a target of their investigation (stating he was not or something to that effect IIRC). The voters did not know the information that came out in Ryan’s trial.

Still I suppose its a truism that the voters as the electors are inherently complicit. Not to get too off topic (and this may discredit to some my taking the voters side in terms of who deserves blame)but this somewhat reminds me of the idea that fans share in the blame for steroids in baseball. It goes: the fans must have been aware baseball players were cheating by the way they grew so huge or had monster seasons out of nowhere, and as they didn’t complain but went to games in record numbers thay deserve some of the blame. Phooey I say! why should fans be expected to figure out players are faking prescriptions to become better players? Trainers, owners, coaches, other players who see baseball from the inside couldn’t have missed it but fans certainly could have. It is similar to me in regards to Ryan. Voters gave hime the benefit of the doubt because those on the “inside” who could see clearly that there much amiss gave him a pass. Just my opinion.

Comment by fan of Capitol Fax Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:09 pm
Dead, I didn’t act like it didn’t happen then. I said 10 or 15 years ago, things like that were common, both the patronage and the fundraising. You said I had to be aware of it at CMS under George Ryan.

Mr Sobchak, I can only say you and I saw different things, but at least you purport to have some personal knowledge regarding what you’re talking about.

Rich, most governors hire people loyal to them I certainly was (and am) loyal to Edgar. I didn’t know Bauer, so I can’t comment on his abilities. And I don’t have any doubt he was doing what he thought was the best thing for his friend, What I don’t think is that he came to George Ryan and said, “hey, George, we’ve got these two or three really bad looking things, including some bribe taking , lot’s of illegal CDLs, and some other serious illegal things, but I think I can cover it all up if you want me to”.

Team, I never tried to say, and wouldn’t, that patronage and the hiring of incompetent people doesn’t happen. Someone earlier said that George Ryan institutionalized corruption in state government. That’s what I’m talking about, people who make statements and don’t have a f—– clue as to what’s true and what’s not.

Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:23 pm
To Mr. Schnorf: Try 25 years ago.

Comment by Dead Head Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:28 pm
Most of these arguments against Ryan appear to take the form of an absolute, if he does bad things then he must be thought of as all bad. I tend to think that neither the world, nor people, are so black and white. BTW Ryan also helped to bring the State to the present in technology, taking us from 48th to 1st. And setting aside all the complaints, Illinois first helped to provide a lot of much needed infrastructure and repair in IL

Comment by Ghost Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:36 pm
Obviously, Mr. Schnorf believes what he wants to believe and believes as a matter of faith that George Ryan could do nothing wrong, other than make an occasional mistake for which he should not be held response.
I can only point out that in its ruling the federal appeals court ruled the evidence against Ryan and Warner was “overwhelming.”
I can appreciate loyalty, but not blindness.
Re Schnorf’s comments about Rich Miller also believing in Ryan’s innocence, God, I hope not.

Comment by chief Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:47 pm
Chief, try re-reading the paragraph.

Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 2:52 pm
I voted for Ryan. The dems put up the worst, most out of touch candidate possible. Ryan did a decent job as governor but he should have never muddied himself with scumbags like Fawell,the Hog,Warner and a dummy like Bauer…and don’t forget the $5 billion deficit that Steve and the boys left poor Rod.
Regardless, he didn’t get an even break. Most of the evidence was provided by rats trying to save their own hides and the Judge made more reversible errors than I have ever seen at the federal level. He deserves a new trial.

Comment by Bill Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 3:00 pm
Chief, you may be reading too much into what Steve says.

Nobody, anywhere, believes George Ryan was clean as a hound’s tooth. Not even he would tell you that, unlike our current governor.

He was what he was, a flawed man who was one of the better governors we’ve had.

As an aside, one of the greatest builders ever in Illinois was Gov. Small, also from Kankakee. Now, that guy was corrupt. Capone corrupt. Literally.

I wrote somewhere before that George saw the truly serious corruption in Kankakee as he was coming up (the Capone guys, brought in by Small, never really left) and figured what he was doing wasn’t a big deal. He was right, but very wrong for the times.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 3:01 pm
Rich, BTW, personally, I don’t have any problems with the envelopes of cash. Reading it in the newspaper makes it sound terrible, of course, but it wasn’t, as people who have been there know.

Perhaps we can hear from someone who personally felt they were being extorted into giving money to a governor for Christmas, and you can check their ISP to make sure they really did work for a governor in a position where they would have been part of it.

I never even remotely felt that way.

Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 3:04 pm
I only mentioned it because the media made a big deal out of the topic during Ryan’s trial and somebody brought it up. I always like playing that card whenever his name comes up in comparison to Ryan, hoewver.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 3:08 pm
Someday there may be a historian to write the history of Republican administrations from Jim Thompson through Jim Edgar to George Ryan. Unfortunately, most of what really happened will go to their graves and all we will be left with is the anecdotal. The Secretary of State’s office is the greatest political money making machine in Illinois. It all comes in in small bills and the tariff is paid by the employees in fund raising tickets. They had been continually dunned by their superiors (don’t know what is happening with Jesse White, but he certainly has improved the service and neither I nor my many poor English speaking legal immigrants getting a driver’s license (not a CDL) have been requested to provide a tip for service. Perhaps it is because I never go to Elston Avenue any more.

The immigrants are afraid to complain, of course. And the Secretary of State has his own house police to take statements and disappear.

But it used to be like that.

The Guzman cases shook up the system, but before that, it was like an accident waiting to happen, so to speak.

It happened on Ryan’s watch, his bad luck. But the George I was vaguely acquainted with was no avuncular, sweet, neighborhood druggist of a man that he portrayed himself as. He was a hard edged Kankakee trained politician.

He understood what we now know as the ‘combine could select and use him, and all the Cellini, Kjellander and the bipartisan rest deals were to be covered over, never to see the light of a friendly Springfield press.

There are good people serving us down there, They may not be angels but they are trying. The remainder are below sea level and sun themselves on rocks. Unfortunately, by length of service some rise to the top and use the system to feather their nests. Others attempt to control the system and deliver sound consensus based legislation even if they control the majority.

Comment by Truthful James Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 3:40 pm
James, a Secretary of State would be lucky to raise more than more than $5-6 million in an election cycle, a Governor can raise 5 times that much, so I guess it isn’t the GREATEST political money-making machine.

Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 3:51 pm
Steve, before too many people get the idea that you’re squeaky clean, weren’t you a high level advisor to Ryan?

Comment by Dead Head Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 3:58 pm
Dead, have you read ANY of what I’ve said here? And anyone who knows me knows I would never try to pretend to have been pure.

Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 4:04 pm
Steve was his budget director for a while as I recall.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 4:06 pm
It makes little difference what we blog about George Ryan’s personality, or cupidity, or effectiveness in building roads and bridges. Even less what we personally feel about him. History will hang six dead kids around his neck and being convicted of a number of felonies for crimes committed while holding the public trust. Whether he goes to prison in a month or a year his fate, especially his historical fate, is sealed. I personally think the death penalty farce put him in a unique category of poltroonishness (if that is a word)as he sought a way out of his coming day in court. But, it is clear that some saw a better man than I did and it would only be fair for history to take note of their opinions as well. I’ll turn my purported memories into actual anecdotes with Mr. Schnorf at the next Thompson Christmas party.

Comment by Walter Sobchak Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 4:30 pm
George Ryan never asked for nor expected Xmas gifts. I know who finally asked that those wanting to give a gift make a cash donation, and it wasn’t George. I mean how many dang ties can one man receive?

How is that different than the car that Thompson recieved at the end of his term?

Plus, the xmas stuff wasn’t illegal - but it was sure brought up enough in the trial. Also, that wad of cash that George supposedly carried. That is laughfulable. It was tip money - 1s and 5s and I have had it in my hands. He was not a big tipper. Try to find one bellman that says different.

If he was Joe Shmoe he never would have been indicted.

Comment by Shelbyville Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 4:41 pm
Excellent column Rich, that’s makes a lot of sense.

I believe that there is a lot of corruptiveness in the Northern District of Illinois…

Comment by One_Mcmad Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 5:10 pm
I too agree that while flawed, Ryan was a good governor - superb governor when compared to the current joke. However, I think his biggest crime was the blanket pardons. While he may have been extremely troubled by some of the miscarriges of justice that had been exposed, as we all should be, you can’t convince me that the blanket pardon was anything more than an attempt to salvage some positive legacy in the face of his crumbling career. He broke faith with the family of the victims and that to me is more unforgivable than anything he was convicted of.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 5:34 pm
Steve, of course I’ve read your posts, why do you think I respond?

Comment by Dead Head Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 6:07 pm
Arguably Judge Becky Pallmyer made errors. Gov Thompson naturally, trying his best for his client, is resting the en banc appeal on the dissent by Judge Kanne. But it would be a complete miscarraige of justice if the appeal to the full appeals court, or failing that the US Supreme Court, results in the verdict being overturned or the case remanded. Judge Pallmyer not only did her best, she performed in a courageous, reasoned manner under intense public scrutiny. The jury foreman (I think Kevin Rein) also did his job in an exemplary fashion. Those jurors faced the same pressures as the fictional jury in Twelve Angry Men. They were only able to rise to their best efforts AFTER juror Evelyn Ezell was excused. Ms Ezell said, in the wake of being bounced, that she had already formed an opinion (that Gov Ryan should not be convicted.) I honor her for sharing her position with WGN TV and the Tribune after her removal. As I recall those reports, she implied that she had been at odds with the other 11 original jurors because, by her own admission, her mind was made up and she refused to deliberate. That is jury misconduct pure and simple. Judge Pallmyer did the correct thing by excusing her, even though the stated reason (that she failed to disclose prior brushes with the law) was irrelevant to the trial. That omission on the juror questionnaire was however conveniently at hand, and Judge Pallmyer used it. Juror Ezell had to go, else there would have been a mistrial, which is essentially what Gov Thompson is trying to bring about after the fact. I very much hope the conviction is upheld, not due to my opinion about Gov Ryan’s (mis)deeds, but because the entire legal process itself, and Judge Pallmyer’s admirable handling of the courtroom she presided over, it itself on trial. After all it’s a government of laws, not of men (or women). In that sense every one of us, as a stakeholder in the legal system, is on trial as well. STOP Rich - if this is too long or too critical of Juror Ezell, I don’t really care if it’s posted or not (although I would like it to be shared with your readers). Could you in either case email me [nrose9@springnet1.com] just letting me know you have read it. I am not only Retired And Still A State Govt Fan but a devoted reader of the commentary that I see from Charlie Wheeler, Bernie Schoenburg, Kent Redfield, Doug Finke & J-R colleagues, Tribute reporters, and yourself. Nelson Rose

Comment by Nelson Rose/Retired And Still A State Govt Fan Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 6:28 pm
Rich, you run a good blog. But that column
contained thoughts which made the blood boil
at our breakfast table this morning. Anyone
who read the individual cases of the Death Row
released would weap for the victims. Not Ryan.
Somehow he likes hanging out with Andrea Lyon and
her ilk who think John Wayne Gacy should still
be alive…hey, he would have been pardoned too
under this scenario. Perhaps George showed his
“Lurleen” personality around you, the one he
shows his wife. The truth is that he has
always been a petty bureaucrat, concerned with
money grubbing power grabbing. It also matters
not to him that his office policies led to the
death of those children on the highway. And,
have you ever met Scott Fawell? That creep and
his boss buddy Ryan are two of a kind….weird,
arrogant and……GUILTY.

The rotting of Ryan in the federal pen cannot
start fast enough.

Comment by amy Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 7:11 pm
–Walter S–”History will hang six dead kids around his neck.” Do you know what caused that most unfortunate accident? A piece of metal discarded by a truck that for all practical purposes was deemed safe for hauling by the trucking firm mechanics who were responsible for its maintenace. The way I understand it, driver did not violate any rules of the road that would have caused such a tragic accident. If he had, then you would have point. Please get your facts straight before you launch any more moral laden missiles.

Comment by ChicagoDem Friday, Aug 24, 07 @ 9:50 pm